EC to recruit electoral officers with higher education

Starting this year, anyone desiring to serve the Electoral Commission (EC) in the capacity of an electoral officer must have a higher educational background.

EC Chairman, Charlotte Osei, says this measure is aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process which has been a subject of debate in the country.

According to her, such persons would be made to take an oath before a magistrate so that in the event they foul the law, they would be punished.

Electoral officers who violate election regulations in the upcoming December polls will face up to two years jail term.

Mrs Osei disclosed this when she addressed news editors in Accra Tuesday on the EC reforms.

She explained the Commission is poised to make sure this year’s election is free, fair and devoid of skirmishes hence its 27 reforms.

One of the reforms is the increase in the number of polling station from 26,000 to 29,000 and the reduction in the number of people voting in each of the polling stations.

Touching on over-voting, the EC boss said “the number of persons on the register is no long tied to the issue of over-voting,” adding, the Commission has reduced the “numbers just to ensure that we have easier and a more efficient electoral process.”

She berated the failure of Parliament to back the November 7 date. This she said has distorted the plans of the Commission.

Mrs Osei said the Commission designed its election calendar based on the November 7 date, adding, there is now the need to “update the calendar and distribute it again to IPAC.”

Nonetheless, she said the Commission would go ahead to ensure that its reforms are not hampered by the date.

She said one of the things the Commission and political parties have accepted to do and “which is in the law is that within 21 days to the election we will publish the list of polling stations and their codes and locations.”

She further said the list of polling stations would be made available to all political parties and would also be published it on the Commission’s website.